Marvel: Silver Hand

The first man barely had time to scream.

Turann came down like a hammer of judgment, the wraith-forged weapon smashing through his skull with the sickening crunch of bone and the wet splatter of brain matter. His body dropped instantly, blood pooling around his twitching limbs.

Alexander exhaled sharply, the scent of blood thick in the air, but there was no time to revel in the kill. The remaining mercenaries, clad in tactical gear and armed to the teeth, unleashed a hail of gunfire.

He moved like a phantom, slipping between bullets with inhuman speed. Time seemed to slow, his perception sharpened by the combined might of Celebrimbor's wraith power and the divine fire coursing through his veins.

The next attacker barely had time to register his movement before Alexander's fist, wreathed in ghostly energy, caved in his ribcage. The force sent him flying into the glass coffee table, shards embedding into his flesh as he let out a wet gurgle, choking on his own blood.

Another mercenary lunged at him with a combat knife. Alexander twisted out of the way, caught the man's wrist, and with a brutal yank, snapped his arm backward at an unnatural angle. The scream was short-lived—he drove Turann into the man's gut, lifting him off the ground before hurling him like a ragdoll into the nearest wall.

A fourth one tried to run.

Alexander threw Turann. The spectral hammer spun through the air, slamming into the back of the fleeing man's skull, exploding it in a mist of red before returning to his grasp.

The final man was left, bleeding out on the floor. He coughed, his breath ragged, as he tried to crawl away.

Alexander stepped over the corpses, his expression cold.

"You're going to tell me everything," he said, his voice low, dangerous.

The man groaned, barely conscious. "F-Fuck you…"

Alexander's grey eyes glowed with an eerie blue light as he reached into the depths of the One Ring's power. A pulse of dark energy flowed from his fingertips, piercing into the man's mind.

The mercenary convulsed, his eyes rolling back as his psyche was invaded. His worst fears, his deepest regrets, his hidden shames—all of it was laid bare before Alexander. The man let out a choked whimper, his body trembling.

"Why are you here?" Alexander demanded, his voice echoing in the man's skull like a thunderclap.

The soldier gasped, unable to resist the compulsion of the Ring. "O-Orders… from Ryan and Vanessa… We were sent to eliminate you…" His breathing hitched, his mind tearing at the seams from the invasion. "V-Vanessa… she's in the lobby… waiting…"

Alexander's grip tightened, his fingers wrapping around the man's throat.

"No loose ends," Celebrimbor murmured in his mind.

Alexander's hand clenched, and with a flicker of wraith energy, the soldier's head burst. Blood and bone splattered across the penthouse floor, leaving nothing but a mangled stump where his head had been.

Alexander exhaled, dropping the lifeless body.

"Vanessa's here," he muttered.

Then go. Burn her from this world.

He stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the ground floor. As the doors slid shut, he tightened his grip around Turann, his body vibrating with restrained fury.

The ride was silent. The tension unbearable.

Then—

Ding.

The doors slid open, revealing a scene of carnage.

The hotel lobby was littered with bodies—the staff, the guests, all executed. Pools of blood soaked the marble floors, painting the once-luxurious entrance hall in red. And at the center of it all, standing amongst a sea of heavily armed soldiers, was Vanessa.

She turned as she saw him step out of the elevator. Her confident smirk faltered, replaced by a flicker of fear.

"KILL HIM!" she shrieked.

The mercenaries raised their weapons, unleashing a storm of bullets.

Alexander lifted his hand.

A wall of divine fire erupted before him, the roaring inferno consuming the bullets mid-air, turning them to ash before they could reach him. The heat was unbearable—at least for them. The flames spread outwards in a tidal wave, engulfing everything in their path.

The soldiers screamed. Their bodies ignited instantly, the fire consuming their flesh, melting their armor. Some dropped their weapons and tried to run, but there was no escape. The fire was absolute.

In mere seconds, the entire squadron was reduced to smoldering corpses. The air stank of burnt flesh, the walls blackened from the sheer intensity of the blaze.

Vanessa was still alive—but barely.

She lay on the floor, her skin blistered and charred, her once-pristine clothes reduced to burnt rags. She wheezed, trying to crawl towards the exit, her nails scratching desperately against the marble.

Alexander approached her, his footsteps slow, deliberate.

She gasped as she felt his presence looming over her. "P-Please…" she whimpered, tears mixing with the blood on her face.

His response was Turann, brought down with merciless force.

Her legs shattered beneath the impact, bones snapping like twigs. Vanessa let out a wail of agony, her body convulsing from the unbearable pain.

Alexander crouched beside her, gripping her by the throat.

"Where's Emma?" he demanded.

Vanessa sobbed, her lips trembling. "R-Ryan… he caught on… to her plan… he has her… in his office… at the Smith Foundation…"

Alexander's grip tightened, his jaw clenching.

He wanted to kill her. But not like this. Not quickly.

"She deserves to suffer," he muttered, his mind racing.

Celebrimbor's voice was like a whisper of shadow. Then make her suffer.

"How?"

Send her to the volcanic realm. Let her burn. Let her die slowly.

A cruel smile formed on Alexander's lips.

He opened his hand, summoning a portal. A swirling mass of fire and molten rock appeared before them—the gateway to the volcanic realm gifted to him by Eldrborinn.

Vanessa's eyes widened in terror. "N-No, please—"

He didn't let her finish.

Lifting her broken body with ease, he stepped through the portal.

The air was suffocating. The ground beneath them trembled with the sheer power of the molten earth. In the distance, the massive volcano loomed, its mouth bubbling with liquid fire.

Alexander carried Vanessa to the very edge of the crater. She whimpered, her body too broken to resist.

He released her, letting her collapse onto the scorched ground.

Then, he reached out with his power, taking control of the heat, the fire, the agony that would consume her. He lowered the intensity—just enough to make sure her death would be long. Agonizing.

Vanessa sobbed, her voice hoarse. "Please… d-don't…"

Alexander turned his back on her.

"I hope it hurts."

With that, he stepped back through the portal, sealing it shut behind him.

There was no need to look back.

Vanessa was already dead.

She just didn't know it yet.

Alexander exhaled, centering himself. He had one last thing to do.

Save Emma.

And kill Ryan.

With renewed purpose, he set his sights on the Smith Foundation.

Tonight, the world would witness true vengeance.